Tile-press.



R. E. HUNN.

TILE PRESS. APPucATloN FILED MAR. ls, 19m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

:lli

WLTNESSES:

mr mwms persas ca Num-UML wnsnmc mu. u. c.

R. E. HUNN. u

TILE PRESS.

APPLlcMIoN FILED MAn.x3.191s.

1,205,636. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ilj; 111111111111111 if;

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR ROBERT E. HUNN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIIiOIEtN'IA.v

TILE-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed March 13, 1916. Serial No. 83,792.

To all 11j/1,0m t may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT E. HUNN, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tile-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tile presses; and has for its object to form ornamental impressions on the faces of hollow tiles.

Heretofore hollow tiles have not been used for ornamental or decorative purposes, owing to the difficulty of applying pressure to the faces thereof to form ornaments without crushing or deforming the cross webs and end walls of the tile. To properly impress an ornament thereon the work must be done while the tile is in a comparatively fresh or green state, at which time it is exceedingly frangible and liable to crumble if pressure be applied unevenly to the surfaces thereof.

In carrying out the foregoing object, I employ an adjustabley templet to receive a fresh tile of variable size, fingers coperating therewith and movable into position within the cavities in the tile and expansible therein to provide supports for the walls of the cavities, and an impresson member movable against the face of the tile to form the desired ornamental. scroll thereon.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichy Figure 1 shows a front elevation of adevice embodying my invention. Fig.- 2 shows a vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, illustrating the parts in operative position with a tile in place and showing the parts adjusted to receive a smaller tile than in the case of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a vertical, sectional view, taken on the-liney 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the eXtreme posii tion of movement of the parts by solid and dotted lines. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the device, witha Aportion. of the cover broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a hollow building tile, illustratingI an ornamental depression thereon formed by the present device.

Referring in detail to the form of the invention illustrated herewith, I have shown a frame 10, of suitable shapeand size, provided with a templet at its uppersurface formed of hinged end walls 11 and a hinged cover 12` carried on a rear extension 13 and havingy interlocking connections to compel them to open and close in unison. The interlocking connections comprise a cam 14:, carried on each end of the cover, and a lug 15 on the ladjacent end wall working in a groove in said cam.

r Carried within the frame 10 are a series of vertically movable, split ingers 16, loosely carried upon spindles or ledges 17 formed upon a base 18. Lying between the split sides of-each finger and working in grooves therein is a wedge-shaped expanding member 19 fixed upon a head 20, the latter slidable up and down on the spindles 17 and normally supported by thel base 18. A handle 21, rigidly connected to the head 20 and projecting .through a slot at the back of the frame, is moved by the operator to raise the head and wedges.

Cords 23, attached to the base 18, working over pulleys-24 and provided with counterbalancing weights 25, serve to elevate the base and fingers in unison with the vertical movement of the head20 and wedges, on account of a portion of the load having been relieved therefrom. Recesses or slots 26, formed in the cover 12, register with the lingers and provide lateral supports therefor when the same are raisedto operative position projecting through the cavities 27 in a building tile 28. At this point the lingers have reached their upward limit of movement; whereupon further movement of the handle 21 raises the wedges and causes expansionof the fingers within the cavities. The number of fingers employed corresponds to the number of cavities in the tile, and these, being removably mounted on the Vspindles 17, may be varied to suit different numbers ofcavities.

vAt-the back of the templet is an impression plate 29 normally retracted against adjusting screws 29a by means of springs 30.

lThe impression plate hasa .pair of rollers 31 on its rear surface projecting through openings in the eXtension13, each of said rollers being adapted to be engaged by an eccentric head 32 formed on a lever 33 pivoted at 34 to the part 13. The face of the plate 29 is provided with an ornamental panel 35 of any suitable pattern.

In the operation of this device, with the impression plate retracted and the supporting fingers lowered, as shown in Fig. 1, the operator raises the cover 12 which opens'the end wings and permits tlieinsertion of a freshly molded hollow tile in the templet. The cavities in the tile are positioned to register with the fingers and thereupon tl-ie handle 21 is raised, which movement relieves a portion of the weight from the base 1S allowing the latter to be elevated by the counterbalancing weights 2,5 as thesaid handlev is moved upwardly. The upward movement of the fingers 1G continues, until they have passed through the cavitiesintlietile and enter the slots orrecesses in the cover, and

.thereafter the upward movement of vthe 4position the operator moves the levers 33 upwardly, thereby forcing .the impression plate inwardly against the face of thetile, applying as muclipressure as is necessary to form the desired ornament. Theeccentric leverspermit the application of several hundred pounds pressure against the tile ,without undue exertion on ythe partof Vthe operator. The tile being supportedon the inside surf'aces of its front wall andthe` cross .webs between opposite wallsgbeing firmly gripped between the expanded `fingers no crushing-or .deformingvof the green tile .can occur kwhen pressureis applied tothe routside facethereof.

Uponreleasingthe levers and the handle theparts vwilll automatically Ereturn 4to inoperative position, .and by havingy twoA levers one adjacent to.;each.end ofthe impression. plate, th e operator can A releasefvthe pressure on theV opposite vsides .ofthe Aplate lin1an uneven manner to permit thegradual e n Vtrance of .air to theimpression surface as is necessary in, order to Ohta-inaneat finish of the ornamentation.

Ordinary vbuilding tiles, Whenneatly ,ornamented .inftliisina-nner `may be usedrfor `all `decoratiye and vfinishing purposes where facedlterra-cotta andother expensive materialisnow employed.

Manychanges in theconstruction ,andar rangement of theseveralpartsof the device herein illustrated` ,and described. may ,be employed without departing from the lspirit of` my invention as. .disclosed inthe appended claims.

The end walls 11, cover 12 and impression member 29, comprising the templet, together with, the rear extension 13 to which they are secured, are detachab-ly connected to the frame 10 by means of lugs and bolts 37, so lthat they may be quickly removed or replaceduiby a templet of a diEerentSZe,

whereby to provide for the reception of various sized tiles.

The number of supporting lingers 16 is readily.variedv to suit'the number of cavities in thedifferent sized. tiles.

VHaving thus described my invention, what I .claiin and desire to secure by vLetters Patent is- 1. In a ydevice vof theeliaraeter described, the combination vof 4means to receive andsupport a hollow tile, and meansv to forni animpression on the face thereof.

2. -ln a deviceY ofthe character described,

. thev combination of means A, to receivea' hollow tile, means to support ,the same at y the walls of itscavities, and means to .form an impression on one side thereof.

3. vA device y foriforrriing impressions onhollow tiles, comprising means., movable into the cavities Aof the tile Aand expansiblethereint@ engage. and Supp-mth@ Wallsjthereef,

andan impression membenmovable vagainst the Aface ofthe tiletor forman ornamentthereon.

4. Adevice for `forming .impressions Aon hollowwtiles, comprising a templet having hinged ends and ac overvto receive a hollow .tile extensible Suivpeftln's .members mov` able intovthe. cavitiesofthe tilekto support the wallsthereof,- and an impression member movable against ,thezlac'es of thetile.

5. A device for forniinguimpressions .on

hollowy tiles, comprisinga templet removy able andreplaceable to receive various sized tiles. a plurality of expansble Supporting members movable into thecavities in ,the tile and VVz idjust-able to provide' for varyingnum- VVbers of cavities, and annimpression y'member inovableagainst Vthe face 'of the tile.

6. In al devicekfor formingimpressions on hollow tiles, comprising@ temrletegers movable vertieally therein, means' for perating said fingers, :wrenches Wedgesor said ffinsersserarate operaties means for said wedges whereby@ svpadethei fingers afterthe latter have entered vthe cavities. in the tile, and an impression memberY onV one side ofr,'the templet movablein and out.

"7. A deviceJ .for ,forming impressions on .hollow tiles, vfaalirlrrisiiig a .temiletsplit ylingers carried on a base, .weighted means Afor lifting said .base to project `the;fingers through said templet, expanded wedgesbetweenvtheV split sides .of said .ngers .carried on head relatively movableonsaid base, a handle vfor operatingn said. wedgesto expand the l fingers after the Ilatter ,haveV entered .the cavities in a hollow tile, and an impressionV member movable against the face of a tile when the latter is in position within the templet.

S. A device for forming impressions on hollow tiles, comprising a templet, expansible supporting members coperating therewith to enter the cavities in a tile, an impression plate. for said templet: and means for moving said plate against the tile to impress an ornament thereon, said means being operable to release theI plate unevenly at its opposite ends to admit air gradually to the face of the tile.

9. A device for forming impressions on hollow tiles, comprising a templet, expansir ble supporting` members coperating therewith to enter the cavities in -a tile, an impression plate for said templet, and an eccentric lever at each end of the impression plate for moving the same against a tile to impress an ornament thereon.

l0. A device for forming impressions on hollow tiles, comprising adjustable means to receive tiles of various sizes, means adjustable in numbers to support said tiles at the walls of their cavities, and an impression member movable against the face of the tile to form an ornament thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT E. HUNN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

